DIY Alabama Wedding by j.woodbery photography

Weddings like this make me want to move to a remote area with sprawling land and gorgeous scenery. This wedding features both, as well as some gorgeous details!

1. What was your favorite memory from the day?
The whole day was incredible! One of the most fun things I remember was the morning of the wedding. I got all of my bridesmaids to spend the night at one of their apartments with me the night before, and we all cooked a big, yummy breakfast together when we woke up! We invited other friends to come too and just shared stories, did our hair, and watched the Katy Perry movie; it was so chill and awesome. I loved getting ready with all of them and feeling so stress-free because all of the girls I loved and admired were with me encouraging me before the most important day of my life. I also loved having a first look with my husband before the ceremony and taking so many beautiful and creative pictures together. We were in our own world and not thinking about anything but each other and how excited we were to be married! It really made us feel so much less antsy before the ceremony and helped us to get more of the pictures we wanted.

2. What advice do you have for brides planning their weddings now?

My advice to other brides is to soak up every moment and not stress about the small things. There were definitely a hundred tiny mess-ups that happened throughout the day, but when I just let it roll off my back and said a quick prayer, none of it mattered, and I felt a lot better. At the end of the day, we were married, and everything was beautiful. I would also recommend hiring babysitters for your ceremony if you are expecting a lot of kids to show up, and tell the guests ahead of time and before they walk into the ceremony. It really helped the parents enjoy the event so much more, and it made sure there were no crying babies during your vows. We had an entire tent dedicated to kids' activities, and made coloring books, got hula hoops and bubbles, painted a table with chalkboard paint that they could draw on, and had all sorts of other fun things for them to do; they loved it. Also, DANCE :) take at least 30 minutes to just dance with your husband and enjoy it, not worrying about anything else. We had an incredible band that played all kinds of fun swing dance music, and we made sure to take full advantage of it. Our friends said it was the most fun wedding they've ever been to, and I know that's partly because of all of us doing the Wop and the Wobble and all sorts of other crazy dances. Our photographers even got on the dance floor and showed off a few moves ;) The photobooth was also a HUGE hit, and people loved all the fun props we had for it! If it's in your budget, definitely try to get one! Most of all, have the most incredible day with all the people you love!

Photographer:  j.woodbery photography//Dress Store: Bella Couture//Bridesmaid Dresses: Enzoani//Dress Designer: Jenny Yoo Collection//Event Venue: The Oaks at Centreville//

Union Station Wedding by F/stop Poetry

Here is a fun one for your Friday. The ceremony was held in the bride's backyard, then they headed to Union Station for a glam-filled reception. The day was captured in dreamy photos by F/stop Poetry .

This is the story of their wedding...

It was a hot and humid day, the threat of rain was on everyone’s mind because there was no plan B. Tiffany had her heart set on having the wedding outside on her family’s property. It wasn’t looking promising that it wasn’t going to rain. We even hid umbrellas in the bushes just in case it down poured and we had to keep on shooting. The rain didn’t scare us though, We had a feeling even if it down poured Tiffany and Josh would make it romantic. There are couples who always seem to have a good time no matter what happens, and it’s because no matter what goes wrong, they feel lucky to have one another. As soon as it was time to walk down the aisle the sun came out and surprised us all. What also surprised us was how heartfelt and emotional their ceremony would be. Josh’s dad officiated the service and talked about how proud he was of both of them and how there wasn’t anyone else in the world who could make Josh smile, like tiffany could. They surprised Josh with a family heirloom ring when the vows were exchanged. If you could make it without crying up till’ that point you had no hope of holding it together after that. The photos of their families’ reactions to the ceremony became some of our favorite moments we have captured at a wedding. After the ceremony everyone drove to Joliet to celebrate in the train station. The train station is near and dear to my heart. It has been laughed at in reality TV. Shows, been immortalized in the blues brothers and taken for granted by those who call it home. It’s a town with a lot of character and heart. And some of my favorite artist is inspired by it. We thought their wedding couldn’t have been more beautiful and personal. We felt honored to be chosen to document the day.

Photographer:  F/stop Poetry//Dress Designer: Badgley Mischka//Jewelry:Brizan Couture//Hair Stylist:Lisa Thomas Salon//DJ:Manna Music//Makeup Artist:Megan Friend//Cake Designer:Fleckenstein Bakery//Floral Designer:Floralia House Design//Dress Store:Francia Bridal Boutique //Dress Designer: Paloma Blanca//Reception Venue:Grand Ballroom at Joliet Union Station//

Dreaming of Cable-Knit Details

I can't tell you how excited I am for fall. I'm so excited I keep wearing boots on 75 degree days. I'm just not willing to wait. I'm super into cable-knit this season which of course got me thinking to incorporating this totally awesome organic texture into wedding day goodness. And of course, Pinterest had a few pieces to carry on my dreams. 

I would love to do a winter wedding filled with cable-knit details, my favorite being a beautiful bountiful cable-knit runner. And of course, I'd create an awesome hot cocoa bar for guests to enjoy.  

Nearly Newlywed Introduces Collections

I've talked about Nearly Newlywed a few times and even have my own dress listed on the site. It is a curated marketplace to buy and sell dresses, and a well-designed, totally pretty one at that.

But they have some other things up their sleeve. Namely, new wonderful collections from some totally amazing designers including Sarah Seven and Paoblo Sebastian. Starting now, you can not only find some of the most wonderful used dresses, but also score some new pieces if that is what your heart fancies! (I swear, where was Nearly Newlywed when I was getting married!) 

Here are a few of my favorites. Shop their collections page and see if you can't find something you just fall in love with! 

NYC Engagement Session by A Guy + A Girl Photography

Hailing from NYC, a guy + a girl photography took this couple out on the streets for their engagement session. And it is a good one. Their fashion, their smiles and those locations. I want a photographer to follow me around in New York :)

FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

a little stroll on little west 12th. a mimosa and a bloody mary at the standard. a taxi cab cuddle. ahhh…these are the makings of a perfect weekend morning for a couple of lovebirds! a few things that you should know about this fabulous duo:

1. they are cali natives, living in nyc

2. alexis can walk (confidently) on cobblestone in louboutins

3. it was a balmy 19 degrees (and windy) on this february morning…but you’d never know it! honestly, they are two of the best sports EVER. their smiles read like it was 75 and sunny, right?

4. alexis has a background in musical theater (which may have helped her pretend that she wasn’t enduring an arctic chill)

5. mateo had a very masculine, business-like set of earmuffs that he would put on between shots (to prevent icicles from forming on his earlobes)

6. OBSESSED with alexis’s earrings

7. both alexis + mateo had just about the sparkly-est smiles in all five boroughs. you can tell that these two are SOOOO in love! a seriously chilly day like this is a true test… but they smiled and laughed and cuddled and smooched their way through the shoot…like it was no big deal.

we dare you NOT to smile when you see how perfectly smitten they are with each other!

Cornerstone Gardens Wedding by Inkspot Photography

Cornerstone Gardens is such a fun venue located in Sonoma. The venue is a the perfect spot if you want a glam wedding, and these two definitely did the property justice. Inkspot Photography equally rocked the photography for this gorgeous couple. And the floral? I am dying over that floral.

Day-of-Coordinator – Va de Vie Events

Photographer – Inkspot Photography

Videographer – Final Frame Studios

Venue – Cornerstone Gardens, Sonoma

DJ – Big Fun DJs

Bride Hair & Makeup – PDArtistry

Catering – Park Avenue Catering

Cake and Desserts – Sweetie Pies

Ceremony Music – Eloquence Trio

Flowers – Tesoro

Photo Booth – Perspective Photo Booth

Rentals and Lighting – Wine Country Party & Events

You Need A Videographer

First thing I see go from a budget is the videographer. And I get it. But I don't. Before I got married I thought it wasn't important. I  even wrote a blog post about it and a ton of people said they don't ever watch theirs. It can be rather expensive and if you have a photographer, why do you need both?

I hired someone from Craigslist to shoot it and had it edited. 2 years later. I don't watch it a lot, but I still cry every single time I do.  A video brings about such a different set emotions. I have looked at my wedding photos so many times (and don't get me wrong, I love them) but I can go through the whole day in my mind based on those photos. The video has something more, something different. There are edits of a few of my friends laughing together. Edits of me while my dad is giving a speech. People looking for their escort cards (which I admittedly cared way too much about, so I was happy to see people hanging in that space!). Things I experienced and a lot of things I didn't.

And that's the point. You don't get to be everywhere. In fact, you get to be on a schedule from practically the moment you wake up until about an hour before the end of the event. You don't get to sit and hang with people as much as you wanted, and you truthfully don't quite get to enjoy the day like the guests do. (Obviously you get to enjoy it, but in a very different way) The video brings it all together, and allows the couple to experience it in different ways.

But there's more!

I've been to a lot of weddings. Heard a lot of great speeches and seen a lot of wonderful moments. I've never walked away thinking, "that wedding didn't need to be filmed". These memories are extremely special, and having a way to look back on them in 30 years, I guarantee you won't regret having had a videographer at your wedding.

I went to a wedding a few weeks ago and the groom surprised her by singing her a song on the guitar. The groom's brother also had one of the best speeches I've heard. Groom's surprise brides. It happens! So be prepared.

I'll leave you with a little surprise from my husband at our wedding. See, I'm really glad I got this filmed.

Ian's Wedding Proposal from Allison Silber on Vimeo.

My 'Build the Bar' Bridal Shower

Back in July, I mentioned that my bridal shower was coming up and i was picking out dresses. It was so so wonderful and I thought I'd share with you guys some of the details that made it so special and give some ideas if you're looking to host a shower of your own.

My bridesmaids asked me at the beginning of the summer if I wanted it to have a theme. I do think that its nice to have a bit of a theme to streamline the gift situation so that a smaller group of close women to you don't have to sift through your entire registry. Plus, we were still 8 months out from the wedding so Erik and I didn't really have a good handle on our registry yet. So I was talking to a friend of mine and she mentioned she had recently been to a "Build the Bar" shower and I thought that sounded like a great idea! Long ago Erik and I decided we wanted a nicely designed and well stocked bar in our future home so this was the perfect way to let our friends and family be a part of that tradition.

This week I wanted to just share some of the beautiful images that were captured by our talented friend Rebekah Gough that showcase the details of the day along with some links to the resources that my girls used. Next week I'm going to round up some amazing gift ideas based on what I received if you're looking for something to help someone prettify their home bar. Perfect as we approach the holidays!

Danielle, my Maid of Honor, blogged about the invitations that Minted so generously provided here and here which gives you a pretty good idea of the tone of the party. Perfect colors for me and just that right touch of whimsey.

The girls decided to do small bite and cocktail pairings and they found an awesome book called Tiny Food Party that they used. They made sliders, crab cakes, and teeny tiny churros. So amazing! Danielle found milk bottles at Ikea that matched the invitations perfectly and filled them with flowers from our local farmers market.

They also used this download from Jones Design Company to make labels for 3 bottles of wine: One for the night we get back from our honeymoon, one for our first christmas, and one for our first anniversary. Such a sweet idea - the gift that keeps on giving (well, for the first year, at least!)

Oh, and my darling fiance stopped by the end of the party to bring flowers for the important ladies in his life (me, his mom, my mom). He's a keeper ;)

It was such a joyful day, and it really was nice to be able to capture that summer sun as part of our wedding festivities since everything else will be late winter/early spring.

Thanks to all my bridesmaids, friends, and family to helped make this day so special and to Rebekah Gough for the amazing photos.

Premium Printing {and a Gold, Navy and White Invitation Suite}

First of all, I want to say how ecstatic I am to be back blogging for E&I. I had so much fun doing this when I was planning my own wedding last year. It’s great to be back now as both a married woman and a member of the wedding industry! When it comes to selecting your invitations, searching for designs and inspiration is a lot of fun. There are so many creative people out there who have created GORGEOUS designs in a million different styles.

While choosing your design might be the easy part, figuring out all the logistics and options for printing and production can get a little tricky. I'm here to share with you some different printing options, their pros and cons and everything you need to know before "hitting print" (figuratively speaking, of course). Full disclosure: I'm a designer and, while I do have an education in printing, I am not a printer. I have exposure to many forms of printing but always work closely with the experts and rely on their knowledge on specific projects. 

Today I'm going to start with some high-end printing methods: foil stamping and letterpress (and a fun star and moon suite to show you just what I'm talking about).

Letterpress is a very popular method these days and rightfully so. The deep impressions in the paper are created by real craftspeople and have a timeless look with a lot of texture and personality in each piece. You really can't go wrong with a letterpressed invitation; however there are some limitations.

The biggest limiting factors are actually closely related: the number of ink colors and the price. Your invitation is going through the press one time for each color that is printed. There is one big roller that inks the printing plates (the things that make the actual printing impression). So for each additional color you have in your invitation, the time and labor required to print it increases and therefore the cost is going to go up. Most letterpress designs have 1 to 3 colors (though more is certainly possible if you have the budget for it). The graphics will usually be pretty simple with no shading or small details. So if you have your heart set on a vintage postcard or are using an engagement photo, letterpress isn't the way to go.

Foil stamping is also a popular—and really stunning—option. Foil stamping is one of the best ways to achieve a metallic, shiny finish. It is also a great technique for printing white on to a dark, colored paper. I've used both white and metallic foil on this celestial invitation. Foil stamping also uses a big die to make its impressions, so you’ll have similar limitations as letterpress, such as fairly simple designs and few colors.

While letterpress and foil stamping are total show-stoppers for an invitation suite or other paper goods, they can be quite expensive. For this suite, I combined both printing methods with some lower cost printing techniques and added some DIY embellishments.

I definitely think it is worthwhile to invest in some fabulous printing for your invitation. However, since RSVPs get mailed back to you and details cards often get stuffed in to bags when your guests are traveling to your wedding, letterpressing or foil stamping your invitation and flat printing the other pieces in your suite can be a great option. To get a few extra metallic touches on the flat printed designs, I hand drew them in with a shiny gold pen (gel pens are great, as are liquid gold leaf pens). Other touches to your suite, such as lining the envelopes or using metallic script for the addresses, can make your invitation look really special without breaking the bank.

When it comes to printing, costs can vary significantly. Letterpress and foil stamping make a huge statement and are definitely worth the cost if you can afford it. But remember that there are lots of ways to make a big impact with your invitation suite no matter what your budget is. Check back next week for some budget friendly invitation printing ideas.

Photograher: Lili Durkin | Invitation Design: Bright Room Studio

Swarovski Elements Wedding Directory + Contest

So, we all love Swarovski right? I mean, how could you not? If you are a bride who wants a little bling on your wedding day, you'll be excited to hear that the Swarovski Elements Wedding Directory is now your go to spot to find a lot of bridal designers who use their coveted crystals. This directory is filled to the gills with pretty, seriously, trying to pick which pieces to showcase here was so hard. Just a take a look at some of these designs, of course, go poke around the Wedding Directory for yourself.

Haute Bride

Jennifer Behr

Gülen Yalçin

Want a chance to win something sparkly? Head over to the Swarovski Elements Facebook page, pick what you like, and pin it with hashtag #somethingsparkling ! Today is the last day to enter, so go fast!